Information for Current and Potential Grantees

Information for Current and Potential Grantees

The Grant Opportunity Portal

The Grant Opportunity Portal is a one-stop shop for anyone interested in locating funding opportunities. State agencies have posted hundreds of upcoming and available procurements and are adding to the list on a daily basis. You can search for and download solicitations with no login required. Check out the Grant Opportunity Portal today!

The Grants Gateway

The Grants Gateway is the next step for organizations interested in doing business with New York State. State agency funding opportunities are posted on the Gateway for online application. Potential applicants can locate online opportunities by clicking View Opportunities on the user’s Home page. State agencies review proposals on the system and make their awards. At point of award the Gateway automatically generates a standardized draft contract, including using the applicant’s proposed budget and work plan. Thereafter, State agency and grantee staff can log in and work together to finalize and execute the agreement in real time. The Gateway also provides significant workload management tools allowing the State and grantees to plan for and manage toward on-time approvals. To date, 33 State agencies are using this functionality, over 2,000 applications have been processed and $1.2 billion has been awarded via the Grants Gateway.

Prequalification Overview

Pursuant to the New York State Division of Budget Bulletin H-1032 Revised, dated July 16, 2014, New York State has instituted key reform initiatives to the grant contract process which require that not-for-profits must register in the Grants Gateway and complete the Vendor Prequalification process. In the case of competitive grant opportunities:

Proposals received from not-for-profit applicants that have not Registered and are not Prequalified in the Grants Gateway on the proposal due date cannot be evaluated. Such proposals will be disqualified from further consideration.

In order to prequalify, not-for-profit organizations must submit an online Prequalification Application through the Grants Gateway. The Prequalification Application is comprised of five components to gauge organizational structure and the types of services provided. The required forms and document uploads are all part of the Document Vault. The Vendor Prequalification Manual detailing the requirements can be found in the Quick Links Section.

Prequalification Updates

Prequalification Progress (3/14/16)

To date, nearly 6,000 not-for-profits have been prequalified in the Grants Gateway and about 75% of those organizations maintain that prequalified status at any given time. There are currently over 150 Prequalificaiton Specialists across 33 State Agencies assisting these not-for-profits with their prequalification efforts.

Maintaining Prequalified Status (3/18/15)

In general, a not-for-profit retains its Prequalified status for a period of three years, as long as the organization keeps the information in the Document Vault up to date. Recent improvements to the system have made it easier than ever for a not-for-profit to maintain its Prequalified status.

Key Improvements:

When a not-for-profit opens its Document Vault to proactively update its information and key financial documents, it will remain Prequalified and eligible to compete for State grant funding. Likewise, when a not-for-profit’s updates are pending review by the State, it will also remain Prequalified and eligible to compete for State grant funding.

These changes are consistent with the long term, fundamental goals and spirit of Grants Reform and the Prequalification process, and should further enhance a not-for-profit’s ability to comply with Prequalification Requirements.

Please note that three of a not-for-profit’s essential financial documents - the IRS990, Financial Statement and Charities Bureau filing - expire on an annual basis. As mentioned above, a not-for-profit that is proactive in maintaining the currency of these documents will have no issue. However, if these documents are allowed to expire the not-for-profit’s Prequalification status expires as well, and it will not be eligible for State grant funding until its documentation is updated and approved, and Prequalified status is reinstated.

Prequalification Exemption (3/18/15)

Certain not-for-profit organizations may request exemption from Prequalification. These organizations must document their exemption at the time they register for the Gateway. Visit the Prequalification Exemption Quick Link for a listing of those organizations that may request exemption, and to learn how to do so.

Not for Profit Revitalization Act of 2013 (7/2/14)

Effective July 1, 2014, not-for-profit vendors wishing to prequalify to apply for State grant funding must:

Formally adopt a Whistleblower Policy to protect employees from retaliation if they report suspected improper conduct. This requirement applies only to not-for-profits with 20 or more employees and an annual budget of more than one million dollars; and

Getting Started

A variety of resources are available to assist with the registration and prequalification. An online tutorial is available to walk users through the entire process. However, the basic steps are outlined below.

Register for the Grants Gateway (All Vendors)

On the Grants Reform Website, download a copy of the Registration Form for Administrator. A signed, notarized original form must be sent to the address provided in the instructions. You will be provided with a Username and Password allowing you to access the Grants Gateway.

If you have previously registered and do not know your Username please email grantsreform@its.ny.gov. If you do not know your Password please click the Forgot Password link from the main log in page and follow the prompts.

Log in to the Grants Gateway. If this is your first time logging in, you will be prompted to change your password at the bottom of your Profile page. Enter a new password and click SAVE.

Click the Organization(s) link at the top of the page and complete the required fields including selecting the State agency you have the most grants with. This page should be completed in its entirety before you SAVE. A Document Vault link will become available near the top of the page. Click this link to access the main Document Vault page.

Answer the questions in the Required Forms and upload Required Documents. This constitutes your Prequalification Application. Optional Documents are not required unless specified in a Request for Proposal or requested by a State agency.

Specific questions about the prequalification process should be referred to your agency representative or to the Grants Reform Team at grantsreform@its.ny.gov.

Submit Your Prequalification Application (Not-for-Profits)

After completing your Prequalification Application, click the Submit Document Vault Link located below the Required Documents section to submit your Prequalification Application for State agency review. Once submitted the status of the Document Vault will change to In Review.

If your Prequalification reviewer has questions or requests changes you will receive email notification from the Gateway system.

Once your Prequalification Application has been approved, you will receive a Gateway notification that you are now prequalified to do business with New York State.

Vendors are strongly encouraged to begin the process as soon as possible in order to participate in upcoming funding opportunities.